A nanoimprint method refers to a technique of precisely transferring fine patterns by compressing a mold machine (for example, referred to as a mold, a stamp, and a template) having concavo-convex patterns formed thereon to a resist, and mechanically deforming the mold. Once the mold machine is manufactured, a fine structure such as a nanostructure, etc., may be simply and repeatedly molded, and the nanoimprint method is simple and significantly economical as compared to conventional photolithography methods, and thus, it has been highlighted as an appropriate technology for mass production while ensuring economic feasibility and reliability in not only a semiconductor, but also a display device, an optical device having a nanostructure form, etc.
The conventional resin composition used in the nanoimprint method includes an acrylic compound, a fluorine-based compound, and the like. Here, after the resin composition is applied to a silicon wafer (Si wafer), a glass substrate, a polymer substrate, etc., and compressed to a mold having the fine structure, followed by heat or light irradiation, the resin composition has poor release property at the time of removing the mold, such that the mold, which is relatively expensive, is easily damaged, which causes difficulty in repeatedly manufacturing nanostructures. The fluorine-based compound has a weak interfacial adhesion force, and thus, the resin may be easily peeled. Recently, the nanoimprint process using UV uses a low-viscosity photocurable resin to easily penetrate the resin between transparent stamp patterns, followed by compressing the resin at a low pressure at room temperature, and irradiating UV light to form a nanostructure. This method is able to minimize stamp damage relatively, but it is difficult to manufacture the high-priced transparent stamp. Even if a replication stamp is used, in order to reduce adhesion force between the stamp and the resin, the stamp is required to be formed on a substrate with protective films such as a fluorine-based self-assembled monolayer, etc., by liquid or vapor deposition.
Therefore, the present inventors made an effort to provide a low-viscosity photocurable resin composition having excellent gap fill property even at the time of being applied to a substrate having steps, and improved release property between a nanoimprint mold and the resin composition, and a method of forming patterns using the same, and completed the present invention.